There’s More to Calcium than Taking a Pill

If milk is such a good source of calcium, and Americans get 70% of our calcium from milk, why do we have so much more osteoporosis than many other nations?

It turns out that calcium metabolism is a complicated question, and it involves a lot of cultural and individual factors.

MSN Health had a good overview of this conundrum today, and I think, if you dig a little deep into it, you'll gain some insight into your calcium needs, and maybe even the best sources for you.

I liked the idea that people in many nations consume far less daily calcium than we do, and yet have much stronger bones. Chinese people eat no milk products, and yet their hip fracture rates are some of the lowest in the world. Bantu women, who hail from Africa, consume only about 350 mg of calcium a day, while its suggested that we get 1,200 mg to 1,500 mg, so you would expect these ladies to get a lot of hip fractures as they age. Instead, Bantu women tend to lose a very small number of teeth and break few bones.